Two prestigious music competitions aimed at the island’s talented youngsters are set to take place early next year within a couple of weeks of each other.

Both the Young Singer of Mann and Young Musician of Mann competitions are set to begin in January at the Erin Arts Centre, with entries now open for each.

Each competition is open to singers and musicians aged 18 and under and both competitive formats have both been recently revamped for 2022.

Usually held biannually, both competitions have been split into two age categories, with a junior competition open for singers and musicians aged between seven years old and 12 years old, and a senior stage in each open to singers and musicians aged one year old to 18 years old.

The first round of the young singer’s competition will take place on Sunday, January 16, with the juniors going first at 2pm and the senior stage taking place later in the evening, at 7.30pm.

The final is set to take place on Saturday, January 23.

The Young Musicians’ competition is set to take place the week after, on Saturday, January 30, with the juniors again going first at 2.30pm, and the seniors at 7.30pm, with the final date set for Sunday, February 6.

For the first stage, the singers must sing two pieces of accompanied music, ad the musicians should perform for no ore than 10 minutes, with one piece being accompanied.

The official accompanist is Madeline Kelly, although, in another change to the competition this year, both singers and musicians may bring their own accompanists if they wish.

Both prizes will be chosen by a panel of judges, which feature Jane Corkill, Fenella Bazin and Wendy McDowell for the Young Singer’s competition and Martyn Cain, Andrew Cole and Ellie Quayle for the Young Musicians, with the Erin Art Centre’s John Bethell acting as chairman in both competitions.

There will be equal prize money available to both stages of each competition, with £150 available for each winner and £100 for each runner up.

The deadline for entering is January 7, for the young singers and January 21 for the young Musician.

The current holder of the Young Singer of Mann is Evie Skillicorn, who won in 2020.